• Records/Rankings: MSU is 5-2 and ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll and No. 12 and Coaches poll. Duke is 7-1 and ranked No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 8 by the Coaches.

• Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 611-234 in his 25th season as a head coach, all with the Spartans. Duke — Mike Krzyzewski is 1,139-345 in his 45th season as a head coach, including 1,066-285 in his 40th season with the Blue Devils.

• Series: Duke leads 12-3 all-time, including 11-2 in the Tom Izzo era. MSU, you probably remember, won the most recent meeting, 68-67 in last year's NCAA tournament East Regional final, to advance to the Final Four. This is only Duke's second visit to Breslin Center. The Blue Devils won the previous meeting, 72-50, 16 years ago to the date.

Lineups

MSU

C (23) Xavier Tillman (6-8) 12.3

PF (30) Marcus Bingham Jr. (6-11) 4.7

SF (11) Aaron Henry (6-6) 12.2

SG (2) Rocket Watts (6-2) 6.9

PG (5) Cassius Winston (6-0) 17.9

Duke

C (1) Vernon Carey (6-10) 18.4

F (21) Matthew Hurt (6-9) 10.9

F (0) Wendell Moore Jr. (6-6) 7.5

G (14) Jordan Goldwire (6-2) 2.5

G (3) Tre Jones (6-3) 15.1

• MSU update: The Spartans are still trying to figure themselves out collectively coming off a trip to Maui that saw them play well in spurts, poorly at times and everywhere in-between. The power forward position remains in flux, with Marcus Bingham Jr. starting the last two games, but Malik Hall playing the most important minutes (when he’s not in foul trouble) and Thomas Kithier falling back into a lesser role. We’ll see if that sticks against Duke.

MSU’s best group right now appears to be one of two lineups: Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry, Gabe Brown, Hall and Xavier Tillman, or Winston, Rocket Watts, Henry, Brown and Tillman — with the freshmen Hall and Watts as the two changing variables. The Spartans are 8-11 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. MSU lost in overtime last year at Louisville. MSU will retire Draymond Green’s number during a halftime ceremony.

• Duke update: The Blue Devils will be without starting freshman guard Cassius Stanley, who suffered a hamstring injury in Friday night’s home win over Winthrop. The loss of Stanley hurts. That’s about 13 points, five rebounds and more than a steal and block per game. It’s unclear who will replace him in the lineup, perhaps junior Jordan Goldwire, who started the opener but has fallen out of favor. Sophomore forward Joey Baker figures to see an increased role as well after sparking Duke with 16 points on Friday.

Duke is anchored by sophomore point guard Tre Jones and freshman big man Vernon Carey. Carey nearly chose MSU, visiting campus several times, but picked Duke. He’s averaging 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game to go with his 18.4 points. Jones, who was outplayed by Winston in the regional final last March, has upped his scoring and assists (6.9). He’s also averaging more than two steals per game. Duke’s only loss this season came at home on a last-second bucket last week against Stephen F. Austin. The Blue Devils’ best win came at the Champions Classic, 68-66 over Kansas.

• Inside the matchup: The absence of Stanley is no small deal, I think. He gives Duke a lot in a lot of facets. I’m curious to watch Winston and Jones do battle. Winston got the better of this matchup last time, with 20 points, 10 assists and just one turnover against one of the better on-ball defenders in college basketball. Jones had four points, five assists and a turnover in the Blue Devils’ Elite Eight loss to MSU.

Tillman’s matchup against Carey should be interesting, too. Tillman rose to the occasion against Zion Williamson. Carey isn’t Zion, but he’s pretty doggone good. Not as athletic, but a smooth and bruising scorer. Neither team can afford to have their marquee big man in foul trouble. MSU has to make sure it takes care of the ball, too. Duke forces 18.8 turnovers per game, fourth-most among high-major teams in college basketball. The Blue Devils offensively want to live in transition.

• Prediction: MSU has been waiting on this game — to have Duke at Breslin Center. It’s MSU’s biggest name non-conference opponent in six years, since North Carolina’s visit. I think it helps that the Spartans just beat Duke last March, slaying a longtime nemesis in an NCAA tournament game. That takes some of the pressure off of them in this one. They might have been too keyed up otherwise. This is Blue Devils’ first true road game (coming about a month earlier than last year, no less) and, per usual, this a young Duke team that, like MSU, is shorthanded in the backcourt and enduring some growing pains. Both of these teams should be significantly stronger in two months. The game is now, however. Breslin will be a buzzsaw. That gives the edge to MSU.